Chapter 33-Light v.s. Darkness: The Ultimate Battle
The next morning Szar awakens and grabs Makiar's sheath from the floor with his sharp white teeth. After that he summons the amulet to him. It surrounds his neck and glows sharply for a second before it resumes its usual blackness with the purple six sided star in the middle. Szar growls silently as he leaves the cabin that holds Makiar. Once outside he spreads his black wings and takes to the sky, following the images of the battlefield that he got from Makiar.
He lands in a almost deserted valley, wind blowing dirt around like it was merely particles of sand. Suddenly Szar hears the sound of wing beats. His attention turns to the sky to see a huge amount of dragons flying toward him. He snarls and prepares to fight. The dragons land nearby and a white dragon walks over carrying a male human upon its back, the human having a sheath with a diamond stone set in the handle.
Szar growls under his breathe as the dragon approaches. The small head and thick hind legs immediately tell Szar that this dragon is female. The female dragon halts three feet away from Szar and her rider dismounts. Then the female walks toward Szar again with the male at her side. The male halts and allows the female to stop in front of Szar. She lowers her head in respect, a sign that puzzles the black male dragon.
You are? Szar asks.
Finca, the female says as she raises her head back up to its normal position.
Szar blinks in surprise.
Finca? As in the Guardian that was bound to Makiar? Szar asks.
Yes Szar, Finca answers, her yellow eyes narrowing.
Sorry to make you mad but I had to be sure that it was really you, Szar comments.
The male human laughs. Finca turns her head in his direction and growls sharply.
Not funny! Finca snaps.
Sorry Finca, the male sighs.
Finca shakes her head in disgust and turns back to Szar.
Makiar told you? Szar asks.
No, I came with the other Guardians, Finca says as she walks off, her rider by her side once again.
{Szar -narrator}
Later that night I slip out of the camp where the other Guardians are. I sigh and stare up at the crescent moon, my thoughts elsewhere. I'm suddenly startled by another Guardian dropping down by my side. I whip my head around and snarl, only to stop in realizing that it's Finca.
Forgive me Finca, I mutter as I turn my head back around to face the moon.
It's fine Szar, she replies after a moment.
I gaze out at the moon as I remember Makiar's last words to me before I left.
The battle shall come. The armies of light and darkness shall clash. Guardians shall fight for both sides. The fate of our two worlds is in the hands of those that choose to accept their destiny . . .
I growl and turn away from the moon. Finca looks at me in worry.
I'm fine, I grumble as I sense that she is looking at me. Besides we have a battle to worry about in the morning. So let us get some sleep.
With that I follow Finca back to camp.
Szar awakens the next morning to find that the Guardians and their riders are getting ready to go into battle. Finca leads Szar around to show him some of her rider's siblings. Szar meets with Sarina, who carries a bow and has arrows in a quiver strung across her back, and her dragon Silver, the Guardian of Moonlight and mother of Finca. Next Szar meets with Tronay, who uses a sword that has a ruby incrusted in its handle, and her riding dragon Jamie, daughter of Ameria. But to Szar's surprise Tronay has another dragon by the name of Arasies, the daughter of the late Mirage, but unfortunately she is too small to be Tronay's riding dragon so Arasies will sit upon Tronay's shoulders during the battle.
Then after introducing Szar to Tronay, Finca introduces her rider Tamli to the black dragon, who uses a sword that has a diamond incrusted handle in battle. After introducing Szar to Tamli, Finca introduces him to Santerous, who uses a sword that has a diamond incrusted in its handle in battle, and his new dragon Meta. Meta shies away from Szar when they first meet as she is only two weeks old. Her rich dark purple scales and her mysterious pitch black eyes captivate the black male dragon with interest as he has never seen that kind of color on a dragon before. Szar reaches out and licks Meta's head with his pink tongue before raising his head to face Santerous.
You have suffered much tragedy and loss in the past few years Santerous. Being put into a coma and Mirage's death must have been horrific for you to bare, Szar says.
"It was," Santerous mutters softly.
After meeting with Santerous and Meta, Szar and Finca return to Tamli. Finca leaves the black dragon and goes off to prepare for the battle with Tamli. Szar sighs and lays down on the dirt, his golden eyes filled with worry. What if Makiar is right about the battle and the fact that the Guardians shall choose their own side. Szar growls and turns away from those thoughts.
Suddenly he hears the approaching sound of footsteps. Szar gets to his feet as Sarina stops in front of him.
"Szar I think it would be best if you were to fight on the ground instead of in the air," Sarina says.
Why? Szar asks.
"I know that you have the sword that the Leviathan gave to Makiar and I want you to use it. Therefore . . ."
Sarina walks up and places her hand on the amulet around Szar's neck.
"Therefore I believe it to be for the best if you would be made human," Sarina finishes her sentence.
Szar collapses to the dirt. He attempts to stand as if he were a dragon but instead Sarina corrects him.
"You are human now," Sarina says gently.
"Human?" Szar asks.
Szar stares wide-eyed as he realizes that he just spoke by mouth. He gets to his feet and brushes the dirt off of his black shirt and pants. To his surprise Makiar's sheath is already hanging on the left side of his black belt.
"Let's fight!" Szar growls as he draws Makiar's sword with his right hand and lifts in up in the air.
{Szar -narrator}
Later in the day I stand at the edge of the left crest of the hill that lowers into the valley and then rises into another hill. Makiar's sword in my right hand, I wait for the first of the Orichalcos Soldiers to come down off the right hill. By sending out Arasies, we were able to figure out that the Orichalcos Soldiers would be the first to arrive, along with Kesar. I stand at the top of the hill along with the white winged Eatos, owned by Santerous, and black winged Eatos, owned by Tamli. Finally I see the ancient beasts as they climb over the top of the hill and begin to make their way toward the middle of the valley.
I turn to Santerous' Eatos and nod, giving it the sign to alert the Guardians and their riders of the first of the two armies. Then I turn toward Tamli's Eatos and nod to it, the sign to attack with the first wave of Guardians. Guardians that are not bound to a rider and live wherever they please in the Dominion of the Beasts.
"Attack!" I yell as the dragons fly overhead and head toward the Orichalcos Soldiers.
Among the first wave of Guardians is Ameria, who destroys her enemies by freezing them with her Guardian Ice Stream. Another dragon is the Guardian Taurus. His yellow scales reveal his element immediately if you didn't know he was an electric dragon. His brown eyes gleam with the thought of destruction. He unleashes a Thunder Blast into the mist of the advancing Orichalcos Soldiers.
After the first wave have done their job it's time for the main Guardians to light up the battlefield.
"Guardians of Atlantis fight to save your home and fight to save your lives!" I scream as they soar past me.
I run out into the valley, both Eatos following me. Up above, Silver sends a Moon Blast into the ranks of the soldiers but it does nothing to slow them down. Finca unleashes her Shadow Blast. Jamie strikes next with her Ice Stream. Cyrill follows with a Dark Crush on the Orichalcos Soldier's minds.
Aurora next with an Aqua Blast. I slash my way through the soldiers, Makiar's sword feeling light in my hands.
"Eatos fly on ahead and strike them with your sword and aura," I say as I get a moment to catch my breathe.
Both fly off and soon they too aid in the battle against the forces of the Orichalcos. But suddenly . . .